School transfer process in NI has 'totally failed' pupils

The mother of a girl who did not get into any of eight schools she applied for has said her daughter has been "totally failed" by the transfer process.

Jenny Reid said her daughter Alicia, 11, was "absolutely devastated".

Ms Reid is one of a number of parents who contacted BBC News NI about the post-primary transfer process.

About 23,500 children found out on 12 June which post-primary school they would transfer to.

For the first time in decades grammar schools did not use transfer tests to decide which pupils to admit.

The tests, run by the Association for Quality Education (AQE) and Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), were cancelled in January due to disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the Education Authority said 85% of pupils got a place in their first choice school, about 280 children do not yet have a place.

'Heartbroken and at a loss'

Ms Reid, from Millisle in County Down, said that Alicia had planned to sit the AQE tests.

She said her daughter wanted to be an architect and they had applied for her to attend eight separate schools close to Ms Reid's work in east Belfast.

Strathearn Grammar School was their first preference.

However, Alicia did not get a place in any of the schools she applied to go to.

"I feel that the education system has totally failed my daughter," said Ms Reid.

"The fiasco that is ongoing has shown her that hard work does not necessarily pay off.

"She has told me that she doesn't want to go to school and face everyone.

"She is absolutely heartbroken and we are at a loss at what to do next."

Selection process 'broken'

Lynsey Dempster's daughter Emily is in a similar situation.

She was planning to sit both the AQE and PPTC tests before they were cancelled.

"Both our school and ourselves knew she was highly capable of completing both," said Ms Dempster.

"Emily met all the criteria of each school and we are left feeling distraught for our daughter as she now has no school place," she added.

She said the school selection process was "broken".

Ms Dempster said Emily had been left feeling "that she was not good enough for anyone."

• More than 23,500 children find out school places

• Academic selection 'traumatic', says new research

• February AQE transfer test has been cancelled

Elizabeth Bloomer told BBC News NI that her daughter Elodie, who also did get a place in any of her chosen schools, "has been taught that her hard work and effort simply doesn't matter".

"She has learnt that her best interests, as a child, have not been the primary consideration of the executive and grammar schools," Ms Bloomer said.

"The application of wholly unjust criteria such as a sibling who has left the school or even, inexplicably, parents for grammar school admissions can only have been motivated by the same.

"One can only hope and pray that this inequity is not repeated next year."

Twins separated

Joanne McBride said her twin daughters had been given places in two separate grammar schools.

"On both applications I clearly stated that they were twins," she told BBC News NI.

Their first preference was Down High.

One of the twins got a place at Down High in Downpatrick but her sister got a place at Assumption Grammar in Ballynahinch.

"It is beyond me how something like this could happen," said Ms McBride.

The Education Authority will operate a help desk for post-primary admissions from Monday on 028 9598 5595.